Chapter Fifty-Nine

KEYARA

She stood stroking the horse’s soft nose as Ash packed everything they needed into place on Storm’s back. He had dismissed her offer of help, insisting he would rather do it alone.

Sure enough, it was very quickly in place, packed thoughtfully and efficiently and strapped tightly to the saddle.

Emily watched from the doorway, holding the leftovers from breakfast in her hands. When Ash fastened the last buckle into place she approached, holding the food out to Keyara.

She took it, smiling warmly at Emily. She reminded her very much of Anne, and Keyara was looking forward to hopefully seeing her mother again soon. “Thank you, Emily, for all you’ve done,” Keyara told her.

Ash joined her, slipping an arm around her shoulders and smiling at Emily along with her. “I’ll send word if we are successful,” he added to Emily.

“None of that talk now,” Emily said sternly. “Of course you will be successful.” She clasped her hands in front of her nervously despite her words of reassurance.

Ash drew the woman into a hug, and Keyara wrapped her arms around the both of them. They broke apart, and Emily clasped Key’s hands in her briefly, giving them a squeeze. “Take care of him, you hear?”

“Of course I will,” Keyara replied.

Ash took the reins in his hand, giving one last smile to Emily. He gave them a light tug and started down the path with the horse.

“Bye,” Key said softly, before following behind him. Emily watched them from the doorway until they were out of sight.

It would be a long walk, he had told her, and they kept up a brisk pace. She was glad for her transformation, her new wolf stamina making a pace that would have been impossible for her old human body now feasible.

While they walked, they discussed the plans for the week to come. It would be dull for a while. Once they made camp, they would have to wait for the rest of the defectors from Kodia to arrive before anything could proceed.

Keyara promised Ash to study the maps so she could advise the warriors on the best routes to approach the castle once they joined the camp.

They would send out scouts, no more than two, to study the activity around the castle for a few days.

Once they reported back to Ash, they would know whether or not it would be safe for Keyara to attempt to approach Anne for the next step of their plan. They would be camping for at least a week without anything to do but wait.

She and Ash had determined the best place to set up the day before, prior to packing up the maps.

There was a rocky hill just over the border, a good distance away from the road, which would provide good cover and a decent vantage point.

Ash had assured her the others would be able to track them to join their location with little effort. Remembering what he had said about tracking made her realize she had a lot to learn about being a wolf.

She was aware of the enhanced senses of smell and vision but had not put her skills to practice and knew nothing about tracking.

“Ash,” she said suddenly, voicing her concerns out loud. “When we are waiting for the others at the camp, can you teach me how to use my new skills? I wouldn’t even know how to track, and I want to be as useful as I can.”

“Of course, my love,” he responded eagerly. “I know you have not been able to get used to your new form, and I’m sorry for that. Staying in the woods will be good for you and your wolf.

“Being close to nature will help you bond. You will see, everything shall come easily to you once you try. I look forward to showing you.”

She took his hand, and they walked silently for a while, covering the distance quickly.

At midday they stopped, sitting in the soft grass and sharing the food Emily had packed for them. They laughed over how much there still was, but knew it was how Emily showed her love for them.

When they had eaten as much as they could, Key wrapped the rest back up. There was still plenty left for later. She knew they had to get back on the road.

“How long until we cross the border?” she asked him curiously. She knew they had covered a good amount of distance, and the crisp scent of the mountains was quickly fading, but she was not as familiar with the road as he was.

“We still have several hours to go,” he responded. “It will be well past dark once we cross the border. Where we chose to set up camp is only about half a mile over the border line.”

She nodded and took Storm’s reins, giving him a break from leading the horse. “I guess we better get on with it then,” she said wearily.

By the time they made it to the camp location, her feet were aching and her muscles were screaming in protest.

The sun had set a few hours ago, but she was pleasantly surprised that navigating in the dark was no more difficult than it had been when the sun was up, thanks to her enhanced eyesight.

She groaned and sat on a boulder at the top of the hill, taking off her boots and rubbing her swollen feet as Ash tied off the horse and began to unpack.

The hill was a good choice for their camp, as Ash had promised. There was a clear grassy area at the top of the hill that was relatively flat, and large boulders mostly shielded them from sight if anyone happened to be below them.

Ash came up behind her, placing a blanket on her lap and then rubbing her shoulders, trying to relax her tight muscles. “Go to sleep, Key,” he told her. “I’ll unpack.”

“I can help,” she said halfheartedly. She really was very tired, and sleep sounded divine.

He kissed the top of her head and laughed, hearing the hesitation in her voice. “Go to sleep, baby.”

She didn’t need to be told again, curling up on the soft grass and wrapping herself in the blanket. She was asleep before he even walked away.